Abe’s children have requested donations be made to the Seattle PlayGarden to honor his life’s work advocating for children’s health and equity in our community.
Abe shared with his son Ben in the evening before his passing,
Dr. Abe Bergman was a loving father to eight children and the Founding Board President of our beloved Seattle PlayGarden. He passed away peacefully on November 10, 2023 at the age of 91 surrounded by his children.
For those of you who would like to honor Abe with a donation, we thank you. We would like you to know that we have set up a separate fund to receive gifts. We are taking the next few weeks to mourn our great loss and will be thinking deeply about how best to use this fund to serve our families and for the long term sustainability of the PlayGarden. Abe was adamant that no family should be turned away due to financial need. He was equally concerned that we take good care of our staff and pay livable wages, and he was so excited about our new adaptive sports programs. We will consider all of this, and more, as we define the use of the Abe Bergman Fund.
Dr. Abe Bergman of Seattle, who died November 10 at age 91, liked to say that politicians could save more lives than doctors. Throughout his long career he proved that statement true, at least if the politicians were inspired – and ceaselessly pushed and cajoled – by Abe.
Most famously, working through his lifelong friend Jerry Grinstein, now also 91, Abe consistently inspired Washington’s two most powerful former U.S. Senators, Warren G. Magnuson and Henry M. Jackson. That inspiration yielded a flood of federal laws that continue to save American lives.
Abe accomplished great things in Olympia too. All the while Abe continued doing what he loved most, namely treating patients, and particularly kids. He was the kindest, smartest, and most attentive pediatrician any parent or child could hope for. To top it off, he was a successful literary agent. (I’ll explain.)
